Bulk package opener



April 22, 1958 J. E. M. MORTON 2,831,591

BULK PACKAGE OPENER Filed Dec 6, 1956 3-Sheets-Sheet 1 IN VEN TOR. JAMES E. M. MORTON April 22, 1958 J. E. M. MORTON 2,831,591

BULK PACKAGE OPENER Filed Dec. 6, 1956 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 24"? i I F INVEN TOR. JAMES E. M. MORTON April 22, 1958 J. E. M. MORTON 2,831,591

BULK PACKAGE OPENER Filed Dec. 6,1956 3 Sheets-Sheep 3 Fig. 6.4 Fi 6G IN VEN TOR. JAMES E. M. MORTON BULK PACKAGE OPENER James E. M. Morton, .lenkintown, Pa., assignor to Rohm & Haas Company, Philadelphia, Pa., a corporation of Delaware Application December 6, 1956, Serial No. 626,720

8 Claims. (Cl. 214-305) Broadly stated, the object of the present invention is to provide a rapid-operating and relatively easy means 2,831,591 Patented Apr. 22, 1958 ice . leads into an opening in the floor, below which is a kettle for opening and emptying bulk packages which are so large and weigh so many hundreds of pounds that they require the use of a device such as a motorized fork-lift to move them "about.

A more specific object is to provide a means for rapidly and readily opening heavy cardboard containers which are on the order of live (5) feet high and three (3) feet square, and whose contents have a net weight on the order of 2000 pounds.

Another object is to provide a device for opening large bulk packages containing powdered substances for delivery to a chute or other receptacle without permitting the powder to escape into the air and cause objectionable fumes.

Still another object is to provide a device for emptying large bulk packages without having to turn them over in order to dump out their contents.

In practicing my invention I attain these and other objects by means of an apparatus which essentially 'is composed of the following parts: a container-supporting frame which is adapted to fit over a chute or receptacle and has side and bottom rails for guiding the container into proper position thereon, one or more knives mounted in a stationary position at the front entrance of the frame so that as the container is slid rearwardly into position on the frame the bottom surface of the container is cut along at least one line from front to back, and one or more lever-operated knives mounted for pivotal movement from below the container up through its bottom surface on a line which is substantially at right angles to the cuts made by the fixed knives. The lever-operated knives (only one is illustrated in the drawings) are actuated by the operator who need only applyslight pressure with his foot on the portion which protrudes from the frame. One form of my invention which has already proven highly successful in commercial production applications is illustrated in the attached drawings, wherein:

Fig. 1 is a view in perspective of the container-supporting frame bolted to the floor (in position over a chute, as shown in Pig. 4, which leads to a kettle on the floor below), the bulk package or container being shown in phantom lines to be resting thereon;

Figs. 2A2B2C are progressive views showing the lower end of the Fig. 1 container, first with a pair of parallel slits in the container bottom, then with a slit made transversely with respect to the other two which are connected thereby, and finally with the cut portions opening in trap-door fashion to permit the containers contents to exit therefrom;

Fig. 3 is a top plan view of the container-supporting frame of Fig. l, but additionally showing an apron-like arrangement depending inwardly from the frame, the four sections which make up the apron fitting together to form a funnel or chute;

Fig. 4 is a cross-sectional view taken along line 4-4 of Fig. 3, showing the way in which the apron or chute (not shown) which is to receive the contents of the container that is being emptied; Y

Fig. 5 shows a portion of the front of the Fig. lframe,

one of the parallel knives being shown in an alternate position in which it can be secured as a personnel safety measure when the apparatus is not in use; and

Figs. 6A6B-6C6D are progressive views showing the manner in which exceptionally heavy and bulky packages aredelivered by a fork-lift vehicle-to my novel apparatus, and at the same time giving the bottom of the container'the pair of parallel slits shown in Fig. 2A.

THE PROBLEM In many industrial operations it is necessary to transfer many hundreds or thousands of pounds of materials from the containers in which they are marketed to the receptaclesin which they are to be used. been the practice to ship powdered materials in 50 pound paper bags. The handling of these bags, particularly where large numbers of them are required for a given operation, is a time-consuming process, and in the act of opening and emptying them there has always been an attendant waste of material and the formation of powder fumes which were obnoxious and irritating. For example, in the manufacture'of a polyester resin, it has been the practice to load a kettle, which consumed 24,000

pounds at each filling, with adipic acid. As this material normally has been marketed in 50 pound paper bags, this meant that 480 such bags had to be separately openedand v poured through a hopper and chute to fill the kettle.

This operation normally would take about two to twoand-a-half hours. Obviously, much of the materialwas wasted by not being-entirely emptied from each bag'and at the same time spilling or powdering into the atmosphere to make working conditions uncomfortable, to say the least.

A recent development in the packaging art has successfully overcome many of the objections found with the practice described above. According to this new development, the powdered chemicals are now packaged in a heavy cardboard rectangular container 12, which is approximately five feet long and three feet square in cross section. This container holds 2000 pounds of material such as adipic acid. 7 Container 12 (Figs. 1, 2' and 6) is designed to be moved about by means of a conventional fork-lift 13 (Fig. 6). By using such a container, its designers intended to save the consumer a considerable amount of handling time, since only one package need be opened and emptied instead of 40 bags of 50 pounds each. Their recommended means for handling and emptying the new type container was to adipic acid in that manner would cause powder-fuming conditions which would be much worse than those ob tained when the'small bags were emptied.

In view of the objectionable features just mentioned,

" therefore, the problem was to devise a means for opening such large and heavy packages as container 12, quickly and easily, and make possible the emptying of the con tainers contents into any receptacle, such as the kettle mentioned above, in a manner which would prevent the formation of powder fumes or at least substantially pre- In the past, it has 3 vent their escape into the atmosphere outside of the container andth'e kettle.

THE SOLUTION I have devised an apparatus which is simple and relatively inexpensive to make, is easy to operateyand which has readily solved the problem described above. This apparatus, as will be better understood from the descriptiOn which follows, preferably causes a pair of parallel slits to be made through the bottom of container 12 in the very act 'of delivering the container to a supporting frame therefor. The operator then need only apply pressure with his foot to a pedal-operated knife which cuts a slit in the container bottom, but this one substantially at night angles to the other two and intersecting them so that the cut portions give way to the weight of the contents and open like a'trap-door to permit rapid emptying of the contents.

Construction of invention I i i-preferred embodiment of the novel apparatus of the present invention is shown in the accompanying drawings. Essentially, it consists of rectangular container-supporting frame 14, a pair of parallel, fixed knives 16, and a pivotable, pedal-operated knife 17. Frame 14 has a flat, horizontal,perimetrical shelf portion 18 for supporting container 12, said shelf portion18 enclosing an opening 19 through which the contents of the container will be emptied into the receptacle below. The horizontal shelf portion 18 preferably is dimensioned to accommodate either end of container 12 so as to center the containers bottom surface over opening 19. Rising vertically from the outer edge of the 'frames horizontal shelf portion 18, at the rear and at the left and right sides of the frame, are retaining wall portions 21 which serve to hold container 12 in its centered position on frame 14.

At each of the four corners of the frame there is a leg 22 which supports the frame in spaced relationship from the floor 23. Openings 25 (Fig. 3) are provided through the fiat base portion 24 of the legs for accommodating bolts 26 (Fig. 1) used to anchor the apparatus to the floor.

The front of frame 14 has no retaining wall as it is intended for the containers being delivered to the frame to tie-lowered upon the forward part 180 of the flat horizontal-shelf portion 18 on which the container ultimately will rest. However, there are provided, at the leftand right extremities of this entrance into the frame, divergent extensions 27 of retaining walls 21 (see Figs. 1, 3, and 4) which aid in guiding the container into its vproper position on the frame.

The forward part 18a of the frames container-support shelf portion 18 will be seen to have a depending member 28 which forms a skirt across the front of the frame (Figs. 1, 4, and A pair of holes 31 and another pair of holes 32, in spaced relationship from each other as shown in Fig. 5, extend through the wall thickness of member 28. These holes are aligned with similar holes in the flanged portion 33 of knives 16 so that bolts can be passed through the mating holes to secure the knives to the frames depending member 28. Another hole 34 through member 28 is provided at right angles to a line which passes through both holes 31; and a hole 35 similarly is provided at right angles to a line which would connect holes 32. Holes 34 and 35 are respectively spaced from holes 31 and 32 so that, when knives 16 are detached and turned down from the vertical to the horizontal position shown in Fig. 5, they may be secured in that posi tion in order to keep the knives from projecting upwards from the frame when not in actual use.

Attached at one side to the bottom of the horizontal, perimetrical frame portion 18, is a depending bracket 37. This bracket may conveniently take the form shown in Figs. 1 and 3 which consist of two L-shaped members, the lower arms of which have aligned openings therethrough for supporting a pivot pin 38. Extending between and through the parallel, L-"shaped members of bracket 37, and pivotably mounted with respect thereto on pin 38, is a shaft 39 of the pedal-operated knife 17. This shaft may be of a single-piece construction, or if preferred for simplifying the construction and assembly it can be a multiple unit (as shown in Fig. 1) conveniently joined together by means of a bolt 41. At the end opposite knife 17, the shaft is provided with a pedal 42. The knife 17 may be made with two, axially aligned blades (as illustrated) secured to shaft 39 by means of bolts 43, although a single blade or even more than two blades could be made to work satisfactorily, and of course the blades can be secured to the shaft by other means.

From the construction which hasthus far been described, it will be apparent that the frame can be specially dimensioned so that it will fit rather snugly atop a receiving receptacle and the contents of the container will be able 'to fall through frame opening 19 directly into the receptacle without permitting the contents to escape between the frame and the receiving receptacle. However, in order to make the apparatus capable of more universal application, and not require an individual frame to be made for each differently sized receptacle, an apronlike arrangement has been provided which functions as an adaptor to make the larger sized frames usable with receptacles having smaller openings, and at the same time acts as a funnel or chute so as to direct the contents of the container into the receiving receptacle in a manner that essentially prevents the contents from escaping into the atmosphere from the space between the two. This apron (which has been omitted from the Fig. 1 illustration in order to expose the knives and other parts more clearly) is shown in Figs. 3 and 4. Its construction will parts 46 which are secured to the under-side of the frames horizontal, perimetrical shelf portion 18, as by means of bolts 47. The fixed parts 46 of the apron will be seen from Figs. 3 and 4 to be directed inwardly and downwardly from the frames pcrimetrical shelf portion 18 so as thereby to reduce the area of opening 19 at the exit or lower end of the funnel formed by members 46 (see Fig. 4). The fixed apron parts 46 can be arranged to overlap one another at the corners where they meet or be secured to each other, as by welding (not shown). If not permanently joined, these parts can be bent towards or away from each other so as to increase or diminish the size of the opening which they form, asmay become necessary. Y

The fourth side, which is the front or forward portion of the frame on which the fixed knives 16 are mounted, is provided with the removable part 48 of the apron. Thispart is shaped as shown in Fig. 4 so that its upper end can be convenientlyhooked on to the forward edge of member 18a and be supported thereby. The removable apron part 48 is provided with slots 49 which make it: possible-to slip the part over fixed knives 16 (when they are in the vertical position shown in Figs. 1 and 4) into position. When it is in its operable position, it co-acts with the adjoining fixed apron parts 46 (see :Fig. -3)-to complete the tunnel or chute-like arrangement (as-shown in Fig. 4). The removable part also can be fiexed or bent, as desired, to adapt it to different sizes of receiving receptacles.

Operation of invention The operation of my invention is as follows. The con tainer 12 is picked up by the fork-lift13 and broughtto my novel apparatus as shown in Fig; 6A. The end of the container which is nearest to the inventive apparatus is gradually lowered on to the forward part ISa and then is shoved rearwardly, until it abuts the rearmost retaining wall (and between the opposing side retaining walls) 21.

This rearward position of the container is progressively shown in Figs. 6B, 6C, and 6D. The bottom of container 12 is equipped with wooden slats 51 (see Figs. 2A, 2B, and 20), one on each side, to make it convenient for the forks of fork-lift vehicle 13 to get under and raise the carton in accordance with conventional practice. Sometimes, the containers are supplied with one or more additional slats; if so, these should be stripped off the bottom of the container (which is simple to do as they are easily fastened by some glue or other adhesive) in order to bare an adequate area of the cardboard surface which is to be cut.

As container 12 is lowered on to part 18a of the frame, the bottom of the carton will become pierced by the points of fixed knives 16. Then, as the carton is moved back into position on the frame, parallel slits 53 (see Figs. 2A and 2B) are made through the container bottom almost across its entire depth from front to rear. The container is then in the position shown by Figs. 1, 6C, and 6D. Next, the operator removes the container top in order to vent the package to the atmosphere. Generally, the container top (and bottom) is secured to the body of the package by a steel band (not shown). The operator snips the band with a tin shears, or the like, and is then able to lift off the lid very easily. The operator then applies pressure with his foot on pedal 42, causing shaft 39 to pivot on pin 38 and raise the movable knife upwards until it pierces the bottom of the container. The cut 54 made by knife 1'7 is substantially at right angles and between parallel slits 53 which it thereby intersects as shown in Fig. 2B.

As soon as slits 5354 are made, the cut portions 56 of the container bottom give way under the great pressure of the containers contents, much like a trap door as shown in Fig. 2C. The contents of the container rapidly empty through the large opening in its bottom and, if the apparatus is situated over an opening 58 in the fioor as is represented in Fig. 4, the contents can be delivered directly therethrough and through a connecting feed-pipe 59 to a connecting receptacle, such as a kettle (not shown) for manufacturing resins.

SUMMARY From the foregoing it will be seen that I have provided a rapid-operating and relatively easy means for opening and emptying bulk packages which are so large and weigh so many hundreds of pounds that they require the use of a device such as a motorized fork-lift to move them about; that I have provided a means for rapidly and readily opening heavy cardboard cartons which are on the order of five feet high and three feet square, and whose contents have a net weight on the order of 2000 pounds; that I have provided a device for opening large bulk packages containing powdered substances for delivery to a chute or other receptacle without permitting the powder to escape into the air and cause objectionable fumes; and that I have provided a device for emptying large bulk packages without having to turn them over in order to dump out their contents.

It will be apparent to persons skilled in the art that the invention which I have herein disclosed is capable of considerable modification within its spirit and scope, and need not necessarily be limited to the specific form herein shown and described by way of illustration. Some of the alternative constructions and means for operating the apparatus have been disclosed throughout the preceding description. As examples of some other changes which may be employed by those practicing this invention, the following suggestions are made.

The parallel, fixed knives 16 may be replaced by a single knife or a battery of knives such as three, four, or more. The pedal-operated knife 17 can just as conveniently be mounted on the opposite side of the apparatus from that which has been illustrated. In fact, the pedal- .6 operated knife could just as suitably be m'ountcdfor piv otable movement from the back end of the frame, with the knife 17 secured to shaft 39 substantially at right angles thereto rather than in co-axial alignment therewith, as shown. Knife 17 need not even be adapted so that it makes its out 54 at a right angle to the slit(s) 53 made by fixed knives 16, the only requirement is that cut 54 intersect slit(s) 53 so as to make possible the rapid formation of a sizable opening in the bottom of the container. As another possible modification, knife 17, which has been described as substantially a single knife, with one or more teeth (two such teeth or blades are shown in Fig. 1), might also be made as a battery of parallel knives so that when the operator steps on pedal 42 he will effect a number of transverse slits to intersect those made by fixed knives 16.

Still another obvious extension of the present invention I would be to use it in opening bulk packages or containers which do not have the particular rectangular shape which has been illustrated. For example, the older type cylindrical drums can also be advantageously opened by the present invention. The only major modification that would be required would be to make frame 14 circular instead of rectangular. In that case, the circular equivalent of the retaining walls 21 shown in the rectangular supporting frame need be interrupted a sufiicient length to permit the admission of the container. In fact, both the rectangular and the circular forms of the container-sup porting frame need not even be supplied with retaining walls, although it must be obvious that it is easier to practice the invention with their aid than without them. Similarly, the invention can be adapted for use with hexagonal or other polygonal-shaped containers.

As another suggestion for modification, the frame con: ceivably could be made Without legs 22. In this case, instead of having bracket 37 below the frame an opening would be made through one of the retaining walls and shaft 39 could be adapted to extend therethrough. Such a frame without legs could be used to rest directly on top of a receiving receptacle, an opening in the floor, or the like, rather than in the spaced relationship indicated in the drawings.

It should be quite apparent, from the various alternative embodiments which have just been described, that the present invention is capable of many different designs, all within the scope of the invention. Accordingly, I do not wish to be bound by any specific form herein disclosed, but only by the metes and bounds of the claims set forth below.

I claim:

-l. A bulk package opening and emptying apparatus comprising: a frame having a shelf portion extending therefrom for supporting the package above the site to which the contents of the package are to be delivered and having a front portion over which the package is passed when it is slid backwardly into position on said frame; a first knife removably attached to the front portion of said frame and projecting upwards therefrom into the path of the package a height which is sufiicient to pierce the bottom of the package when it is resting on the shelf portion of said frame, thereby enabling that bottom to be slit a substantial distance across its surface as the package is slid across said first knife onto the shelf portion of said frame; and a second knife pivotably mounted with respect to said frame so as to be movable from below up into the bottom of said package after it is in position on said frame, said second knife being adapted to effect a cut in said package bottom which intersects the slit made by first knife; whereby'an opening into the bottom of said package can be made through which the contents thereof can be emptied by force of v gravity.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 additionally comprising an apron portion which is secured to the frame and mm answer jects downward and inward towards the center of the frame to act as a chute for funneling the contents of the container towards the site to which they are to be delivered. i V

3. An apparatus for opening and emptying essentially rectangular containers of large bulk and weight, comprising: a substantially rectangular frame for supporting the container above the site to which the containers contents are to be delivered, said frame having a perimetrical surface on which the container will rest, a rear retaining wall and a pair of opposed side retaining walls rising substantially vertically from the outer edges of the frames perimetrical surface to guide the container into proper position thereon and to retain it there; a first knife removably attached to the front of said frame and pro jecting upwardly therefrom into the path of the container a height which is sufficient to pierce the bottom of the container when it is resting on the perimetrical surface of said frame, thereby enabling that bottom to be slit a substantial distance across its surface as the container is slid rearwardly across said first knife onto the perimetrical surface of said frame and adjacent to its rear and side walls; and a second knife pivotably mounted on said frame so as to be movable from below up into the bottom of said container after it is in position on said frame, said second knife being adapted to effect a cut in said container bottom which will intersect the slit made by said first knife; whereby an opening into the bottom of said container can be made through which the contents thereof can be emptied by force of gravity.

4. The apparatus of claim 3, additionally comprising: an essentially U-shaped first apron portion attached to the rear and opposed side retaining walls, said first apron portion projecting downward and inward from the frames perimetrical surface towards the center of the frame with its open end facing the front of the frame; and a removable linear-shaped second apron portion having a slot for enabling the first knife to protrude therethrough, said second apron portion being adapted to rest on the front of said frame and project downward and inward therefrom so as to form, together with said U-shaped first apron portion, a rectangular chute for funneling the contents of the container towards the site to which they are to be delivered.

5. A bulk package opening and emptying apparatus comprising: a frame for supporting the package above the site to which the contents of the package are to be delivered and having a forward portion over which the package is passed when it is slid rearwardly into position on said frame; a plurality of knives in substantially parallel relationship to each other and removably attached to the forward portion of said frame so as to project upwards therefrom into the path of the container a height which 7 is sutficient to pierce the bottom of the package when it is resting on said frame, thereby enabling that bottom to be given a plurality of parallel slits a substantial distance across its surface as the package is slid across said attached knives onto the frame; and a pedal-operated knife pivotably mounted on said frame so as to be movable from below up into the bottom of said package 8 after it is in position on said frame, said pedal-operated knife being adapted to effect a cut in said package bottom which intersects the parallel slits made by said attached knives; whereby an opening into the bottom of said package can be made through which the contents thereof can be emptied by force of gravity.

6. An apparatus for opening and emptying essentially rectangular containers of large bulk and weight, comprising: a substantially rectangular frame for supporting the container above the site to which the containers contents are to be delivered, said frame having a perimetrical surface on which the container will rest, a rear retaining wall and a pair of opposed side retaining walls rising vertically from the outer edges of the frames perimetrical surface to guide the container into proper position thereon and retain it there; a first set of knives in essentially parallel relationship to each other removably attached to the front of said frame and projecting upwardly therefrom into the path of the container a height which is sufficient to pierce the bottom of the container when it is resting on the perimetrical surface of said frame, thereby enabling that bottom to be given a plurality of parallel slits a substantial distance across its surface as the container is slid across said attached knives onto the frame; and a pedal-operated knife pivotably mounted on said frame so as to be movable from below up into the bottom of said container after it is in position on said frame, said pedal-operated knife being adapted to effect a cut in said container bottom which intersects, substantially at right angles to each other, the parallel slits made by said attached knives; whereby an opening into the bottom of said container can be made through which the contents thereof can be emptied by force of gravit 7. The apparatus of claim 6 additionally comprising: an essentially U-shaped first apron portion attached to the rear and opposed side retaining walls, said first apron portion projecting downward and inward from the frames perimetrical surface towards the center of the frame with its open end facing the front of the frame; and a removable linear-shaped second apron portion having multiple parallel slots for enabling the attached knives to protrude therethrough, said second apron portion being adapted to rest on the front of said frame and project downward and inward therefrom so as to form, together with said U-shaped first apron portion, a rectangular chute for ftmneling the contents of the container towards the site to which they are to be delivered.

8. The apparatus of claim 1 additionally comprising a pair of mutually divergent extensions each secured to the respective extremities of the front portion of said frame in such position as to be in guiding relationship with respect to a package being delivered to and passed over the front portion of the frame in order to help direct the package onto said frames shelf portion.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 

